Valley Forge Educational Services

Testimonials

“When my child and I used to sit and play, I always felt like he was hitting a wall with simple things like building a tower with Legos or drawing a picture.  My son was evaluated by VFES’ Luma CenterTM for Development and Learning and they found that he has a “motor planning” problem.  He has been in therapy at The Luma Center for five weeks and we have already seen so much improvement in every area of learning.  Now, our child is excited to draw a picture and build a castle; there is no more fighting.  His teachers and other family members have all told us about the improvements they have seen, too.  VFES is a perfect fit for us.”
Elizabeth Kanavy

“I cannot imagine where we would be without The Vanguard School and Vanguard Transition Center.  Scott started at Vanguard as a 2nd grader and it was obvious from day one that these gifted teachers had compassion for him and a keen interest in him.  With many years of tireless dedication and a commitment to making Scott independent, he is now attending community college, working part-time at a job that pays him benefits and learning to drive.  His growth and success can be attributed to many factors but tops on the list is what he received from Vanguard.”
Stacey Rohrbeck, parent

“Of all Jacob’s wonderful years at Vanguard, I think his time at the Vanguard Transition Center (after completing his high school graduation requirements) was the most valuable.  Jacob’s anxiety level was palpable during most of that time.  He knew he was preparing to leave Vanguard by learning how to take public transportation, by spending some time working at QVC and US Liability and by taking a few college courses at Harcum College. But he didn’t know how he was going to cope with life on the outside, without the daily encouragement and guidance of the Vanguard Transition Center teachers and staff. Jacque Murray, Director, understood his concerns and responded by assuring us that she would continue to be a resource and a friend for us and for Jacob. And in fact, she has stayed in close contact, visiting Jacob at Eastern University on move-in day, sending him encouraging emails and taking him out to lunch. She has also communicated with his college program coordinator to help facilitate his successful transition to the college environment. Jacob had never lived away from home before and we never imagined he would be a fulltime college student. Without The Vanguard School and the Vanguard Transition Center, we truly believe that none of this would have been possible for him.”
Susan Denman and Simeon Bardin, parents

“My son has just completed his fourth year at VFES’ Summer Matters’ Extended School Year (ESY) Program at The Vanguard School.  It has been a positive experience for him and our family.  The program is a wonderful complement to Vanguard’s school year program as it provides continuity with reinforcement of academics and behavior goals.  The ESY Program offers opportunities to participate and experience activities that would otherwise not be available to him.  My son has also participated in Summer L.I.F.E.  His self-esteem and independence have increased tremendously as his involvement and success in the different activities expands.  The entire staff working at both programs are phenomenal!  As parents knowing we are sending our child to such a compassionate and committed environment is truly priceless.”
Patty Maguire, parent

“I never use my learning disability as an excuse for not achieving in life.  I owe a lot of my success to the teachers at VFES’ Vanguard School and the way that they helped me.  At Vanguard I learned how to problem solve, and we all learned how to solve our own problems.  This has made me a better person, and it has also been the most valuable life lesson.”
Doug Diehl, alumnus

“Particularly noteworthy was the organization of the VFES Conferences and Training symposium with West Chester University and the manner in which the event was managed on site.  There was a great variety of presentations from which to select with most topical well-focused on the real needs and interests of the attendees.  One of the sessions we attended had applications far beyond the event’s focus on students with disabilities, with information from that presenter finding its way into methods classes and student teaching.  Congratulations on the success of this event and best of luck as you move forward with other partnership events and outreach to schools throughout the region.”
J. Bryan Burton, Professor and Chair of Music Education
West Chester University Coordinator of Graduate Studies in Music